Malta’s first ABA intervention centre

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Silvina Fonts VallejoCTI-Certified Professional Coach.CPCC. ACC

“One of the more painful sensations I used to have as a special mom was when people only could see the limitations of my daughter. When they judged only the appearance (behaviours), without seeing the other side, what was behind (potential) ... She was constantly being judged for challenging behaviours - which, of course, were only being reinforced. She is almost 12 years old today and we had this pattern since she was 2 years old. We tried everything and nothing worked. I feel tired even when my beliefs about her capacity were still unshakable. I was still worried that she will not be able to show her full potential. We started the intervention with HiH in the school and it was an improvement but slow. And the behaviours were still showing. We decided to have 2 weeks of full immersion in HiH (20 hours/week). When I went to pick her up the first day, she was waiting for me with a big smile. It was magic. I felt like she had told me ..they finally understand me. After 2 weeks of hard work at HiH, she showed NO challenging behaviours and we could feel how our lives at home got easier and easier. We decided to take her out of the school and keep her going to HiH for 6 more months. Her improvement has been incredible in such a short time. And more importantly, she is getting increasingly confident in using functional communication instead of behaviour. The last three months have changed our lives.”

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Hand-In-Hand Centre, Rabat, Malta

“My experience with Hand-In-Hand and their professionals is a very positive one. I mainly appreciated how they made my daughter feel welcome and how they made sure to have a personal relationship with her, this made us feel reassured that she was not just a number there.
It was also a relief when I quickly realised that nothing was impossible for them and they were more than willing to work with their students on their individual challenges. It was evident how experienced they are and that they have enough knowledge to deal with these challenges professionally.
Their programmes are tailor made to include specific targets always keeping in mind the student’s individual abilities.
Another thing I noticed, was how pleasant the environment feels and looks. It is impeccably clean and well taken care of, very safe and of high standards.
Above all, the most important thing for me as a parent, was seeing my daughter happy to enter their premises and looking forward to spend time there. I also noticed how happy she is when I pick her up. This to me proves how well taken care of she is there and how content she feels to be there.”

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Christel Van Zyl

“We were encouraged by a family member to try ABA therapy at Hand in Hand and it exceeded all our expectation! Our son has one-on-one sessions and also attended the Intensive Summer School program. Goals were set for him and worked on. He drastically improved his sitting tolerance, communication skills and play skills. He can now ask for what he wants and he is able to respond when we ask him question. The tutors are very caring and well trained. Our son loves going to his ABA therapy sessions. Hand in hand also invited my son's class teacher to attend a session and his LSE was with him for nearly 2 weeks of summer school to observe and learn. I've seen a drastic change in how my son behaves at school, he is calm, participating in class and engaging with his class mates. Things I didn't see last year. I can't recommend Hand in Hand enough!”

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Anonymous

“My son has improved immeasurably since starting an intensive ABA course at Hand in Hand. Within just a few weeks we noticed major improvements in behaviour and his speech was more forthcoming. Today he is a much happier, communicative child who understands the world around him, thanks to the caring & dedicated Staff at Hand in a Hand who have literally changed our lives.”

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Audrey Komrij Jones

“Our daughter Saskia has been receiving therapy at Hand in Hand from the start. She has made incredible progress. Whenever a new issue crops up, I have always found the professionals there to be accessible and ready to discuss the way forward and find solutions together, quite literally, hand in hand.”